# Domain Expiry Checker - RDAP Registrar & Status (`dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor`) Actor

Check domain registration data through RDAP across 1,200 TLDs: expiry date and countdown, registrar, status codes, transfer lock, DNSSEC and the DNS provider read from the nameservers. Monitor a domain portfolio or find expiring domains. A WHOIS replacement.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Tom Awake](https://apify.com/dataio) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, MCP servers
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $4.00 / 1,000 domains

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

### What does Domain Expiry Checker do?

For a list of domains: when each one expires, who the registrar is,
whether it is locked against transfer, whether it is DNSSEC-signed, and
who hosts its DNS.

Whois is effectively dead — closed, redacted, and free-form text. RDAP
replaced it (RFC 7483) and returns JSON. But there is no single RDAP
server: there is one per registry, and you have to know which one to ask
for which domain.

No API key. No account.

***

### The three things this does that the source does not

**1. It routes to the right registry.**

IANA publishes a TLD → RDAP server table covering **1,200 TLDs**. This
Actor loads it and talks to each registry directly.

The obvious alternative is the public `rdap.org` proxy, and it is a trap:

| Approach | Resolved | Rate limited |
|---|---|---|
| `rdap.org` proxy | 7 of 23 | 16 (HTTP 429) |
| Direct to registries | **16 of 22 in 10 seconds** | 0 |

The proxy starts refusing after about ten lookups. Routing yourself
removes the bottleneck entirely, which is what makes a 500-domain
portfolio practical.

**2. Days until expiry, not a date.**

The question is never "what is the expiry date". It is "how long have I
got" — and a brand domain that lapses is a brand someone else can take.
In a sample of well-known domains, one was **49 days** from expiry.

**3. Locks read, not quoted.**

`client transfer prohibited` means the domain is protected against an
unauthorised transfer. Its absence is an exposure. This Actor turns the
EPP status strings into booleans you can filter and sort on:
`transferLocked`, `deleteLocked`, `updateLocked`, `pendingDelete`,
`clientHold`.

And it reads the **DNS provider out of the nameservers** —
`ns-1435.awsdns-51.org` means AWS Route 53. Detected on 91.3% of resolved
domains: Route 53, Cloudflare, Azure DNS, Google, Akamai, UltraDNS,
Vercel, Alibaba Cloud and others.

***

### Field coverage

Measured on a 28-domain international sample, 23 resolved.

| Field | Coverage |
|---|---|
| `createdAt`, `expiresAt`, `lastChangedAt` | 100% |
| `daysUntilExpiry`, `domainAgeYears` | 100% |
| `status`, `nameservers` | 100% |
| `registrar` | 95.7% |
| `registrarIanaId` | 91.3% |
| `dnsProvider` | 91.3% |

Two findings from the same sample, both worth knowing: **91.3% carried a
transfer lock** — but only **4.3% had DNSSEC enabled**. Median domain age
was 21.5 years.

***

### What it is for

- **Portfolio renewal.** Sort by `daysUntilExpiry`. A lapsed brand domain
  is the cheapest disaster there is.
- **Acquisition due diligence.** Domain age, registrar, and whether the
  target actually locked its own names.
- **Security review.** `transferLocked` and `dnssecEnabled` across every
  domain you own, in one table.
- **Infrastructure mapping.** `dnsProvider` across a set of companies
  shows who runs their DNS — and who a competitor just migrated to,
  because `lastChangedAt` moves when nameservers do.
- **Brand protection.** Check lookalike domains for registration date and
  registrar.

Pairs directly with **Subdomain Finder & Certificate Inventory**: that one
maps the hosts under a domain, this one covers the domain registration
itself.

Three dataset views ship with the Actor: **Portfolio**, **Exposure** and
**Infrastructure**.

***

### Limits

Stated plainly, because they affect what you can conclude.

- **Some country TLDs have no RDAP service at all.** `.de`, `.jp`, `.cn`,
  `.ru` and `.so` among them — they still run whois only. Those domains
  come back with `resolved: false` and a note naming the reason, and are
  **not charged**. This matters: a silently missing row looks exactly like
  an available domain, and it is not one.
- **Registrant contact details are gone.** GDPR removed them from public
  RDAP almost everywhere. What survives is what this Actor returns: dates,
  registrar, status, nameservers. Do not expect an owner name.
- **Some registries publish less than others.** `registro.br` returns no
  registrar at all, because Brazilian domains are registered directly.
  The field is left empty rather than guessed.
- **Query the registrable domain.** `www.example.com` is normalised to
  `example.com`; a deeper subdomain has no registration record of its own
  and will not resolve.
- **Expiry is the registry's date, not your renewal date.** Auto-renew
  settings live with the registrar and are not published here.
- **One request per domain.** 500 domains is the per-run cap, paced to
  stay within what registries tolerate.

***

### How much does it cost?

You pay per domain returned: **$0.006 each**, that is $6.00 per 1,000. There is no start fee, and subscription plans pay less per domain.

If a run reaches the spending limit you set, the output stops at that limit and never goes past it. You are never charged for rows that were not delivered.

### Use Domain Expiry Checker as an API

Call it from your own code with the Apify client, here in Python:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("DataIO/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor").call(run_input={
    'domains': ['stripe.com', 'shopify.com', 'canva.com'],
    'includeUnresolved': True,
})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

It also works from JavaScript, Make, Zapier, n8n, and from AI agents through the Apify MCP server.

### Other actors you might like

- [npm Downloads Scraper](https://apify.com/DataIO/npm-registry-download-trends): Package Trends & Growth
- [WordPress Plugin Scraper](https://apify.com/DataIO/wordpress-org-plugin-stats): Installs & Ratings
- [crt.sh Subdomain Finder](https://apify.com/DataIO/crtsh-subdomain-finder): Certificate Search

### FAQ

#### Is it legal to use this data?

The actor reads public data from its official source, without logging in and without bypassing any access control. What you do with the data, for example contacting people listed in it, is your responsibility under the laws that apply to you, such as GDPR in Europe.

#### Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes. Create a schedule in Apify Console, daily or weekly for example, and each run delivers a fresh dataset, which you can send by email, webhook or integration.

#### Can AI agents use it?

Yes. It is available through the Apify MCP server, and every input field is described in its input schema, so an agent can call it directly.

### Source

RDAP servers operated by the domain registries, discovered through the
[IANA bootstrap registry](https://data.iana.org/rdap/dns.json). Public, no
authentication. This Actor is not affiliated with IANA or with any
registry.

# Actor input Schema

## `domains` (type: `array`):

One domain per line, for example example.com. Full URLs, email addresses and leading wildcards are accepted and cleaned up. Query the registrable domain, not a subdomain: www.example.com is normalised to example.com.

## `expiringWithinDays` (type: `integer`):

Keep only domains expiring within this many days. 60 is a usual renewal window. Leave empty to keep everything.

## `unlockedOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only domains without a transfer lock. An unlocked domain can be transferred away without the owner acting, which is the classic hijacking route. Measured: 9% of a sample of well-known domains.

## `includeUnresolved` (type: `boolean`):

On by default, and deliberately: a silently missing row looks like an available domain. Unresolved rows carry a note saying why — usually a country TLD with no RDAP service, such as .de, .jp, .cn or .ru.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "stripe.com",
    "shopify.com",
    "canva.com"
  ],
  "unlockedOnly": false,
  "includeUnresolved": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Every row produced by the run, in JSON.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "domains": [
        "stripe.com",
        "shopify.com",
        "canva.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "domains": [
        "stripe.com",
        "shopify.com",
        "canva.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "domains": [
    "stripe.com",
    "shopify.com",
    "canva.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataio/rdap-domain-expiry-monitor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/2P77TWmeCExq7Heth/builds/rjzcNRwqjyyBtQatn/openapi.json